Dear Parishioners,
The Apostle Thomas is the very symbol of each and every one of us. He is an ordinary person with all his fears and doubts. As the case of Thomas illustrates (Jn 20:19-31), even the disciples who walked with Jesus sometimes had doubts. Jesus meets us wherever we are on life’s journey and removes our doubts. He knows that in our walk of faith we face many challenges. But as we observe the method Jesus used with Thomas, it is not unusual in his dealings with us. His understanding of Thomas was perfect and he patiently brought him to a deep faith. You may ask, how can we believe unless we actually see the Lord? How do we encounter him without seeing him with our eyes? Jesus says that we do not have to see him to believe in him when he says: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” This is a new beatitude for those who believe in the resurrection based on the testimony of the Apostles. This is our beatitude. We are invited by Jesus himself to believe by reading the first hand accounts given to us by the Apostles in sacred scripture. We also encounter Him through prayer and the sacraments. This shows us that Easter faith can only come through a personal encounter with the Risen Lord.
I pray that when we encounter trials and doubts in our life, we still have the courage to proclaim our act of faith and trust in the Risen Lord. Jesus be patient with us as you were with Thomas to strengthen our faith and remove any of our doubts. Lord we do believe, change our unbelief.
Easter joy to you!
Deacon Howard
